“Pull in beside Mama’s car.” I pointed at her beat-up red Subaru. I’d offered to buy her a new vehicle at least a hundred times and she never budged, swore she would take me up on it when this one died but not beforehand. He did as I asked, and when we got out of the truck he tugged at the collar of the heavy shirt he’d put on this morning.
“It’s hot here.”
“It’s probably only sixty-five.”
He stripped his flannel off and my mouth went dry as he tossed it back into the truck, then slammed the door. His black undershirt hugged his muscles and provided a nice view of his slim body. I walked around the front of the truck to take him in my arms, and it was gratifying when he snuggled against my chest. I skated my fingertips over the silky skin of his biceps. I hadn’t realized how much he’d been holding back with me lately, but my belly warmed as he nudged the top of his head under my chin.
“What did you tell them about me?”
“Nothing much.”
He stiffened in my hold, and I kissed his forehead.
“That’s not bad. Mama’s the type to make her own assessments, and so is Dad.”
The hitch in his breath was concerning, but he nodded. “Okay.”
I hugged him closer. “I’m sorry. Were you worried the whole time you were driving? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You barely slept all week.” He nuzzled his face against my neck.
My stomach went warm from the implied consideration. “Do you remember that story we told the reporter?”
He nodded.
“Just stick to it.”
Mama came out onto the front porch in jeans and a green-and-red flannel. The screen door smacked shut behind her, dragged closed by the spring across it. She waved and our time alone was at an end. She was being polite, but she would only wait so long, considering I hadn’t been home in a while.
Excitement slapped me, and I couldn’t wait to show Noah off. “Come on.”
“Bring your things,” Mama called as I dragged Noah along toward her with an arm across his shoulders.
“We rented a cabin at the—”
“No, you are not wasting money on that.” She flicked her long red hair off her shoulder, and I could already see her planting her feet for an argument about it. Freckles were dusted across her sunburned round cheeks; she’d been out without sunscreen again, something that happened every week or two. My heart ached. Everything about her was familiar, from the no-nonsense twist of her mouth to the lean lines of her work-hardened body. “There is plenty of room here.”
My steps faltered. “Mama—”
“Alton, this is a family holiday. You can’t be off halfway to the next county and celebrate it right. Bring that boy here. Let me see him.”
Noah stopped breathing as I ushered him closer.
“It’s okay.”
“No, she’ll hate me,” he said, barely above a whisper.
“She won’t.” I hugged him close as we walked. To Mama, I said, “I’ll get our stuff in a bit. Most of our luggage went on a trip without us.” I urged him up the porch steps and we stopped a few feet away from her.
“How awful. Look at you.” Mama rested her hands on Noah’s shoulders. “Look at these eyes. Gray. So nice. It was Alton’s daddy’s eyes that snagged me, too. Good Lord, honey. He’s handsome.”
“Mama,” I hissed out, but she only laughed.
Noah’s small smile struggled to stay on his lips. “Thank you, Mrs. Bouchard.” He rubbed his belly, almost like maybe it was upset, and I stepped back to wrap my arms around him from behind, surrounding his smaller body with mine.
Mama spotted his tennis bracelet. Her eyes bugged, and then she squinted at him. “Did you do any of those things people said?”
“Mama,” I snapped, ready to strangle her. Did she think Noah was only out for my money? “Even if he had, it wouldn’t be any of your—”
